2009 Films Ranked
Submitted by auto_matt_ic on Sat, 02/21/2009 - 13:38
Tags:
- A
- A-
- B+
- The Class (Cantet)
- Inglourious Basterds (Tarantino)
- B
- Two Lovers (Gray)
- Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (Miyazaki)
- Up (Docter & Peterson)
- B-
- In the Loop (Iannucci)
- Coraline 3D (Selick)
- Julia (Zonca)
- Tyson (Toback)
- C+
- Antichrist (von Trier)
- The International (Tykwer)
- Whatever Works (Allen)
- The Limits of Control (Jarmusch) [* A celebration of repetition. It's hard to get worked up over something so studied, but like most dreams, it does seem to linger days after I've seen it (although I've yet to order two espressos in two separate cups), which is more than I can say for many of 2009's releases. This year isn't that great buds.]
- C
- Lorna's Silence (the Dardennes)
- The Hangover (Phillips)
- The Hurt Locker (Bigelow)
- Crank: High Voltage (Neveldine/Taylor)
- Public Enemies (Mann)
- The Girlfriend Experience (Soderbergh)
- Anvil: The Story of Anvil (Gervasi)
- Rumba (Abel, Gordon and Romy)
- Watchmen (Snyder)
- Goodbye Solo (Bahrani)
- Sugar (Boden and Fleck)
- C-
- Frownland (Bronstein)
- Il Divo (Sorrentino) [* Simultaneously enamored with - and repulsed by - Andreotti's banality. But it's mostly enamored. Fails to pierce an un-pierce-able subject mostly because it doesn't bother trying (the first few shots are the give-away).]
- Adventureland (Mottola)
- Duplicity (Gilroy)
- Martyrs (Laugier)
- Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! (Hartley)
- Tokyo! (Bong, Carax, Gondry)
- Drag Me to Hell (Raimi)
- D+
- Bronson (Refn)
- He's Just Not That Into You (Kwapis)
- Brüno (Charles)
- Observe and Report (Hill)
- Sin Nombre (Fukunaga) [* Markedly hollow, esp. when compared to El Norte. His ad for Levi's is actually quite beautiful, I think (for being an ad).]
- Terminator Salvation (McG)
- Where the Borderline Things Are (Jonze)
- Knowing (Proyas)
- Star Trek (Abrams)
- D
- Lake Tahoe (Eimbcke)
- Monsters vs. Aliens (Letterman and Vernon)
- À l'aventure (Brisseau)
- Away We Go (Mendes)
- Taken (Morel)
- Transformers: Rise of the Fallen (Bay)
- The Brothers Bloom (Johnson)
- The Great Buck Howard (McGinly)
- D-
- I Love You, Man (Hamburg)
- Is Anybody There? (Crowley)
- Sunshine Cleaning (Jeffs)
- Year One (Ramis)
- Gigantic (Aselton)
- F
- Dream (Kim)
Author Comments:
Last list of the decade (can you believe it?)! As always, super awesome thanks to the usual buffs (Mr. Dayfornight, Mr. Dread Pirate, Mr. Kza and Mr. Ephender) for their support and insight. In case you didn't know already, the capsules for these won't be up on the main site for a while (meaning: the next decade), so don't be surprised to see grades change ever so slightly. I like to re-order, shuffle, etc.
Yeah, I was definitely crestfallen when Coraline slipped into American-Girls-Meets-Myst territory. That spiderweb was pretty o_0 in 3-D, tho.
I can't believe some people are saying it's better than Nightmare Before Christmas.
It is
Any non-spoiler thoughts on DUPLICITY? I didn't read your blurb, because I plan on seeing it next weekend.
The structure is out-of-whack: constant flashbacks that keep flip-flopping time - it just can't seem to build up momentum. Also Gilroy's too aloof for cat-and-mouse espionage.
See, I dunno -- I dug the structure. Thought it was well-handled. As for the ending... well, consider that both parties were Guv'mint Spooks. I think there might be a bit of subtle political humor on the part of Mister Gilroy.
You're in good company and almost everyone likes it. I just ... I dunno, so much of it left me cold. I can't even say I was ever on the fence.
Muriel Moment: the slow-motion fight between TW and PG. Second most awesome credit sequence of the year (so far).
Have to agree with you on TYSON. One of Toback's better films, for sure.
His best since Fingers, I guess. It's been a while.
So RUMBA is basically the same end result as L'ICEBERG? 'Cause I liked that overall, but I'd like to see these guys work the kinks out of their modus operandi someday.
It's even MORE lightweight than L'Iceberg and runs thin at ~70 minutes. Once the filmmaking trio figure out how to make a movie that doesn't end in some weak cutesy manner like a kids book they are very capable of crafting something praiseworthy (though I doubt they can ever approach the Chaplin-Keaton-Tati tier).
Knew I could count on you for a negative review of THE HURT LOCKER. ;)
Somebody had to do it! No ... really.
the crease at the junction of the torso with the legs and the adjacent region that includes the external genitals. high school Diploma | earn diploma | homeschool online awesome thanks to the usual buffs (Mr. Dayfornight, Mr. Dread Pirate, Mr. Kza and Mr. Ephender) for their support and insight. In case you didn't know already, the capsules for these won't be up on the main site for a while (meaning: the next decade), so don't be surprised to see grades change ever so slightly. I like to re-order, shuffle, etc.
who want specific vocational skills, such as those required to be a pilot. In addition there is an array of education possible at the informal level, e.g., at museums and libraries, with the Internet, and in life experience. High School |
Distance Learning
Oh boy, spam on Listology. Time to check out.
I reported it, but it's still there. Maybe I'll just move it to the main site, although there's no forum for discussion. And I'm mixed on Twitter. Damn you internets and spammers!
Yeah, I agree with you about Twitter: I think it has its place, but I'm not sure if that is a place I want to occupy anymore. You could always add a commenting system like Disqus to the lists on your site.
Hmmm ... I'll get my tech department to look into it. ;-)
I see the Basterds have marched upwards in the world... :-)
It grows in the mind. And it's so ... disarming, I didn't know what to make of it at first!
It's certainly an odd duck, but it's also a clear and marvelous cinematic achievement. Best part is, it really holds together - maybe even improves - on a second viewing.
Oh, BTW: but it has the mentality of Maxim Magazine: tacky, homophobic, gratuitous, infantile.
You say that as though that were a bad thing... ;-)
You ain't kidding about YEAR ONE. What a bunch of lazy crap.
I think I laughed half-heartedly ONCE. I don't even remember at what.
A well-edited collection of various extreme scenes from lousy Australian movies.
But look at it this way: Now you'll never have to see those movies! That should be worth an extra half-grade alone, right?
Also: Wow, you were depressingly kinda right about LAKE TAHOE. There is nothing going on in this film in my opinion.
Tarantino makes that 'documentary.' He's so energetic, I just want to see and feel what he sees and feels.
I'm so glad you agree with me on Lake Tahoe. I loved Duck Season, but it might be a fluke.